Download pdf - Editing & Proofreading...The Importance of Proofreading!e sentences below come from actual letters received by a welfare department in Pennsylvania and a school district in California

Editing & Proofreading

For Orange County Government

Facilitated by Chris FriendThe John Scott Dailey

Florida Institute of Government at the University of Central Florida

Meet Your FacilitatorChristopher R. Friend has taught Freshman English in Seminole County Public Schools since 2000. His current endeavors involve

completing the Texts & Technology PhD program at UCF, as well as teaching online with Seminole County Virtual School (fulfilling a

dream of combining teaching and computing, all without having to leave his house). He expects to earn his degree in 2013 by re-searching the use of technology to improve student learning

across various learning styles.

While in class, he is often caught laughing, most often at himself.

He is typically found using some kind of technology; he experi-ences withdrawal pains when more than thirty feet away from his MacBook Pro. To express his musical side, he participates as a

choir member in the Candlelight Processional and Massed Choir Program at Walt Disney World, and he is a proud alumnus of the

UCF Marching Knights, reprising his role as a mellophone player one day a year at the UCF homecoming football game.

CREDENTIALS

• UCF Trustees Doctoral Fellow, 2009

• MEd—Curriculum & Instruction (Gifted Ed) | UCF 2006

• BA—English (Creative Writing) | UCF 2000

• Secondary English Education Certification | FLDOE 2000

• Computer Science K–12 Certification | FLDOE 2008

• Gifted Endorsement | FLDOE 2008

ABOUT THE INSTITUTEThe John Scott Dailey Florida Institute of

Government (IOG) at the University of Cen-

tral Florida is one of six university locations

of the statewide institute. The IOG mission

is to provide training and technical assis-

tance to local governments, state agencies,

and non-profit organizations.

Located in Research Park in East Orlando,

the Institute of Government is administered

in the UCF College of Health and Public

Affairs. The UCF IOG has served Central

Florida government and non-profit agen-

cies since 1982, and has been directed by

Marilyn Crotty since 1990.

Contact us at by phone at 407–882–3960

and by email at [email protected], or visit

us online at www.iog.ucf.edu.

Services offered to government and non-

profit agencies include:

• Training Programs

• Technical Assistance

• Organizational Development

• F.A.C.E.

Popular workshop topics include:

• 21 Laws of Leadership

• Supervisory Skills Series

• Leading Change

• Emotional Intelligence

• Self-Awareness with the Myers-

Briggs Type Indicator

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mas Kilmann Instrument

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• Emerging Leader

• Strategic Planning & Visioning

• Business/Office Etiquette

The Importance of Proofreading!e sentences below come from actual letters received by a welfare department in Pennsylvania and a school district in California. !ese examples show why we should carefully check what we write.

1. I am forwarding you my marriage certi"cates and six children. I have seven, but one died

when he was baptized on a half sheet of paper.

2. I am writing the Welfare Department to say that my baby was born two years old. When

do I get my money?

3. Mrs. Jones has not had any clothes for a year and has been visited regularly by the clergy.

4. I cannot get sick pay. I have six children, can you tell me why?

5. !is is my sixth child, what are you going to do about it?

6. You have changed my little boy to a girl. Will this make any di#erence?

7. I was very much annoyed to "nd you have branded my son illiterate. !is is a dirty lie as I

was married a week before he was born.

8. Please excuse Jimmy for being. It was his father’s fault.

9. Please excuse Sue from class. Yesterday she fell out of a tree and misplaced her hip.

Proofreading Pre-Test!e necessity of training farmhands for "rst-class farms in the fatherly handling of farm

livestock is foremost in the minds of farm owners. Since the forefathers of the farm

owners trained the farmhands for the first-class farms in the fatherly handling of farm livestock,

the farm owners feel they should carry on with the family tradition of training farmhands of

first-class farms in the fatherly handling of farm livestock because they believe it is the

basis of good fundamental farm management.

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Editing & Proofreading Florida Institute of Government

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Guidelines for Successful ProofreadingHow do you handle your proofreading? Are you one of those “Oh, I didn’t notice that mistake” peo-ple? Responsibility for content usually rests with the writer; responsibility for error-free copy usually rests with the person doing the typing. If you "nd proofreading a hard part of your job, here are some suggestions to make the task more bearable.

!e kind of material you must proofread determines the proofreading technique to use. Is ita legal description of a plot of land or a memo to a department head down the hall?a letter, 5000 copies of which are going into citizens’ utility bills?a set of notes for the boss’s speech tonight?

the annual department budget with column upon column of million-dollar "gures, and now you face the tedious task of being sure that every number is correct?

General questions to consider before proofreading:How important is the document?

Does it warrant the attention of a pair of proofreaders?Does it need only a quick scan?

How essential is accuracy in the opinion of your supervisor?How much time is available for proofreading?

What is your own feeling about mistakes?Who will be seeing this? (How widespread is the potential damage?)

What is your department policy about error-free copy?

How much time will readers spend with the material?

!ings you can do while proofreading your material:

First use your computer’s spell check and grammar check. Studies show, however, that these tools, while helpful, are not perfect. !e "ve steps in the next section are an e#ective technique of proof-reading that involves reading every word carefully several times. For most proofreaders, just one read-ing is not enough to ensure error-free copy. !erefore, proofread in planned stages involving several readings, each one focused on a speci"c area, in the order listed on the next page.


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The Proofreading Process1. Sense and Completeness

Look for major twists or omissions in this "rst reading, such as missing words, contorted, incom-plete, or nonsense sentences, out-of-place paragraphs, or even entire omitted or unnecessary sec-tions. As you read, don’t worry about the look of the text. Instead, ask yourself, “Do these ideas make sense?” !e less you focus on writing detail here, the better. Your goal on this read is to pay attention to the meaning, not the content.

2. Grammar and Usage

!is time through, look at each sentence as a whole. Rather than looking for misunderstood parts of the thinking, check the phrasing and word choice in each sentence. If you always got in trouble in school for a particular error (sentence fragments, subject/verb agreement, etc.), keep that ten-dency in mind. On this read, work sentence-by-sentence to ensure your writing style is clear.

If you are typing for someone else, you may need to consult with the original author on matters of usage, phrasing, or word choice. Only you can know how much $exibility you have in typing someone else’s words; however, if you’re ever in doubt, consult with the author. Attention to de-tail is o%en seen as a skill, not an annoyance.

3. Spelling and Typographical Errors

Look for misspelled words, improper endings of words, plus transposed numbers/letters/words. On this read, your focus now moves to the word-by-word level of detail. &uestion tricky spelling or frequently confused words. If you’re unsure of yourself, look it up! Again, knowing your own trouble spots can help you pay more attention to what’s likely to need "xing.

4. Reading Backwards

!is sounds crazy until you try it. Obviously, it works best for short material, since reading long passages in reverse will make you crazy. !e material will not make sense, but reading backward allows you to focus on spelling and repetition. It might suprise you how many litle errorrs can be be skipped over when reading quickly. Re-read that sentence backward to see what you notice.

5. Capitalization and Punctuation

Focus on letters not capitalized (scan for periods and check the letters a%er them) and capitals which should be lowercase. Double-check acronyms for accuracy. Check for missing punctuation, such as hyphens. Check for extra spaces or unnecessary punctuation, such as commas. Now that the words have all settled into their "nal places, you can look for the marks that connect them. !is last read-through adds the polish to your masterpiece so you’re sure everything is set.

When you use this "ve-step method, you are more likely to produce error-free copy. Train yourself to perform all "ve readings and to read only for the errors suggested in each reading. Of course, if you "nd you an error you are not reading for, go ahead and correct it once spotted. But the emphasis of this process is to start with the big-picture problems and get increasingly detailed as other issues are resolved.


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Proofreading Tips for Document Types!e ideas below can help you proofread more easily. Divided by type of document, they can help draw attention to the particular trouble spots common to each product. !is isn’t an all-inclusive list, but rather a collection of helpful reminders that apply in various scenarios.

1. Short Narrative CopyPay attention to dates. Do not assume a date is correct just because you have typed the same date dozens of times. Check the spelling of months, even the correctness of the year, especially if other than the current year. Be especially careful every January!

Check the name, address, subject, and reference lines in letters. !ose parts of letters are o%en copied and pasted from other "les. Be sure the content is correct for the current document.

Examine the endings and beginnings of lines to be sure you have not repeated a little word like “that” or “of.” Reading backwards can really help catch this error.Do a separate punctuation check: periods and commas always go within quotation marks.

Read only the personalized parts of letters and memos which are otherwise identical. Arrange with a coworker to proofread each other’s material if time allows and if neither of you is sensitive about having another person "nd your mistakes.

2. Long NarrativesRely on the styles feature of your word processor to ensure fonts, spacing, coloring, alignment, etc. match across the document. !e earlier you set this up, the easier your life will be.

Use your word processor to add page/section/"gure/image numbers, page counts, and the cur-rent date as automatically updating "elds. It’s one less thing to worry about, and it can auto-mate tables of contents—particularly handy for last-minute content changes.Make a style sheet for content. Keep a copy by you as you type to assure consistency in capi-talization, punctuation, use of names and titles, and spelling of specialized technology, etc.

Make sure any references to other parts of the copy are correct. For example, “See page 8 for a similar list.” Be sure that list has not moved to page 7! (Using automatic references in your word processor can make this a non-issue. It’s worth learning how.)Read the body of the new copy (live copy) against the original (dead copy), sentence by sen-tence. It’s helpful to have another person read the dead aloud while you check the live.

Highlight with a marker handwritten inserts on the original before you begin to type. Be sure in your proofreading that the new copy includes them all by crossing out (or checking o#) each edit as it’s made in the document.If the dead copy is on scraps of paper which you must “merge” into the new, count the para-graphs on the original papers and compare with the number in your new copy to be sure you have all of them.


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3. Technical Material and TablesUse two proofreaders, one reading the dead copy aloud and the other checking the live copy, to verify technical data.

If you have typed the columns by tabbing across the page, proofread down the columns by folding the original from top to bottom and laying it next to the corresponding column of the live copy.

If you have typed the columns down the page, proofread across by folding the original above each line and laying it under the corresponding line of typed entries. Lay a ruler under each line to keep your place when proo"ng—especially when interrupted!

Proofread outlines by breaking the job into components: check headings; then check mechan-ics (numbers, indentations); "nally read each item against the original. Use styles in your word processor to automate the formatting of outlines so you really only check content.Count the number of entries in each column. Be sure the totals on old and new are the same!Total the columns on your live and dead copies, and be sure they match. Note: most so%ware, including word processors, has the ability to automatically generate totals. If you can’t with the so%ware you use, copying the data and pasting it into a spreadsheet can also work.

4. Generic MaterialKeep a list of the words that are hard for you to spell handy on the pullout portion of your desk. Referring to this list and typing these words correctly the "rst time is o%en faster than using spell check or correcting the misspelled words your computer program underlines.

Watch closely for omissions of “ed” or the "nal “s” on third-person singular, present tense verbs. For example, be sure to type “ he works,” not “he work.”

Watch out for the interchanged words that are so easy to overlook: their/there, our/are.Mentally repeat syllables of long words that have many vowels: Kissimmee, evacuation. Refer to !e Gregg Reference Manual (or a current/online dictionary) to determine whether to use a compound word or a hyphenated word and "nd rules on capitalization.

5. NumbersBe sure numbers make sense. “September '(” is always wrong, no matter what’s in the original.

A%er reading for content, read again to check all numbers ("gures, dates, etc.) in an extra step.Separate long numbers into parts. For example, read the social security number 243–70–1959 as “two forty three/seventy/nineteen "%y-nine,” instead of remembering nine separate digits, your ear/eye will more easily remember "ve. Be sure columns of numbers line up: hyphens under, dollar signs aligned, etc. Your word proc-essing so%ware can automatically do this, saving you time and making your work look more professional than “spacing over” to the line.


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When proo"ng several columns of numbers (like phone numbers), read down, not across, each column. For example, read the area codes "rst. Be sure all phone numbers have ten digits.

Add column totals on live and dead copies to be certain the totals match.

Color Hunt!is exercise will help your concentration and ability to overcome the restrictions of habit that keep you from seeing what is actually in front of you! Find the color in each sentence.

1. Newspaper editors decided to go on strike. (Red; get it? Now you "nd the rest!)

2. A big, old hungry dog appeared at our door every morning.

3. !e Brazilian student, Paulo, lives just around the corner from us.

4. You shouldn’t let an upstart like him bother you.

5. He let out a big yell, owing to the injuries he received when he fell.

6. !e cop persuaded him not to create a disturbance.

7. La Jolla venders decided to cut their prices in half.

8. Long rayon fabrics were loaded on the truck.

9. You shouldn’t sell this fossil very cheaply because it is a rare specimen.

10. !e new law hit everybody’s pocketbook pretty hard.

11. Bob’s car let out dark fumes when he tried to drive it up the steep hill.

12. He decided to leap, in keeping with the agreement reached with the referee.

13. !e old ogre entered the argument with obvious relish.

14. A huge dog called Lobo ran gently toward me.

15. !ey ate lime jell-O for dessert.

16. A%er you’ve let the cat in, dig out the buried treasure.

17. A%er you wipe the sweat o# your brow, nestle a little closer to me.

18. !ey wanted to stay on the island of Crete a little longer.

19. She always adds cream to her co#ee.

20. !e ability to check for errors is a quality worth having.


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Common (Not All) Proofreading Symbols

blah⋀ insert text or punctuation

#⋀

insert space

⨀ insert period

”⋁ insert apostrophe orquotation mark

delete

transpose (swap)

⁐ close up

¶ begin new paragraph

no new paragraph

≡ capitalize

／ make lowercase

Proofreading Exercise!ere are twenty-one errors in the following letter. Correct them by checking punctuation, spelling, capitalization, numbers, omissions, verb tenses, typos, and grammar. Use the symbols from above.


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Dear Mr. Blanton:

!is is in reply to your letter of Jan. "#, "$%$ about the

bene&ts Mr. !omas Kaiser is receiving for his disability retirement

under the Civil Service Retirement System.

To alleviate any &nancial hardship to Mr Kaiser while his

claim was being processed monthly payments of '($.$$ was authorized.

When &nal approval of the award was made, his rate was established at

)%.$$ a month comencing March (, "$$*. His payments was then

increased to ')(.$$ e+ctive April ,$, "$$*. With a ,-.*, per month

deducktion for health bene&ts his current net rate is '").$). Mr.

Kayser had been paid all aniuty due to date. Future checks mailed to

him on the &rst bussiness day of the month.

Any inconvenieince caused Mr. Kaiser is regreted.

Sincerely Yours,

Customer Service

Or These Write?“Too Bee Oar Not Two Bea”

I have a spelling checkerIt came with my PCAn plainly marks four my revueMistakes I kin not sea!

I’ve run this poem threw hit(I’m sure you wood be pleased to no!)Its letter perfect in it’s weigh:My check toiled me sew!

Dear Ann Landers:

Sum won toiled me wee wood knot knead two learn how too spell because computers or secre-taries wood dew it four us. Eye disagree. Dew Ewe?

—St Louis Park

Dear St. Louis Park,

Ewe our write. !ank ewe four a good cloths look at what “progress” has dun fore education.

Worrisome Words

Part I—Understanding the Differences

For each of these, don’t guess. !e point is to con"dently know, using resources (which can include a partner), rather than to haphazardly guess, using a hunch.

1. In which was the legendary bowman surprisingly careless? a) Robin Hood was about to loose his arrow.b) Robin Hood was about to lose his arrow.

2. Which sounds conspiratorial? a) We’d like to invite you to dessert with us tomorrow evening.b) We’d like to invite you to desert with us tomorrow evening.

3. Which dra! board’s needs were the greatest?a) !e medical board accepted men with perforated eardrums.b) !e medical board excepted men with perforated eardrums.

4. Which statement is concerned with ethical standards?a) !e principles in the case are well known.b) !e principals in the case are well known.

5. Which Joe is very obedient?a) Joe submitted to many orders.b) Joe submitted too many orders.


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Part II—Matching Meanings

English is full of words that sound alike or almost alike that have di#erent spellings and meanings. How many of these can you and your partner "gure out?

6. assembly of lawmakers

7. advice or the one who gives advice

8. the full quantity or number

9. praise

10. to use an example, to quote

11. location

12. the art of climbing, an upward slope

13. agreement, agree

14. main governing city, money, upper-case letter

15. building which houses lawmakers

16. to change

17. a table used in ceremonies

a) ascentb) assentc) altard) altere) capitalf) capitolg) citeh) sitei) complementj) complimentk) councill) counsel

Part III—Pick the Term

Can you and your parter decide which is the correct word in each case? For bonus points, "gure out what each wrong answer means to explain the di#erence to the group. Tip: be very deliberate with your pronunciation of the words you read. Choices for each answer don’t sound alike if you’re careful.

18. to suit oneself toa) adaptb) adept c) adopt

19. to in"uencea) a#ectb) e#ect

20. to withhold approvala) disapproveb) disprove

21. to solicita) canvasb) canvass

22. to blamea) censorb) censure

23. directiona) coarseb) course

24. clashinga) collisionb) collusion

25. friend, advisora) con"dentb) con"dant


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A Comedy of Commas (by Maxwell Nurnberg)

26. Which is a libel on the fair sex?a) !irteen girls knew the secret, all told.b) !irteen girls knew the secret; all told.

27. Which sentence shows extraordinary powers of persuasion?a) I le% him convinced he was a fool.b) I le% him, convinced he was a fool.

28. Which is the foursome?a) Henry James and I will play golf with you tomorrow.b) Henry, James, and I will play golf with you tomorrow.

29. Which headline seems cannibalistic?a) SENATE GROUP EATS CHICKEN, CABINET SPOUSES, SEAFOOD.b) SENATE GROUP EATS CHICKEN; CABINET SPICES, SEAFOOD.

30. Which is easier for the children?a) In the parade will be several hundred children, carrying $ags, and many important o)cials. b) In the parade will be several hundred children, carrying $ags and many important o)cials.

31. Which is un"attering to the play?a) !e play ended, happily. b) !e play ended happily.

32. In which case has Miami only one game le! to play? a) Miami still must play Iowa, which tied Notre Dame, and Missouri.b) Miami still must play Iowa, which tied Notre Dame and Missouri.

33. Both show manners, but which is harder to do?a) Do not break your bread or roll in your soup.b) Do not break your bread, or roll in your soup.

34. Which will require a lot of postage?a) Shall I stick the stamp on, myself ?b) Shall I stick the stamp on myself ?

35. Which is the neurotic personality?a) She, too, eagerly awaits the spring.b) She too eagerly awaits the spring.

36. In which sentence is Mrs. Rogers likely to get in trouble?a) Mrs. Rogers, the secretary is two hours late.b) Mrs. Rogers, the secretary, is two hours late.

37. Which saleswoman has more going for her?a) A pretty young saleswoman waited on me.b) A pretty, young saleswoman waited on me.


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Pesky PunctuationPunctuation marks are to a reader what road signs are to a driver, making it easier for a reader to un-derstand what the writer has written. Here are some basic guidelines. Make note of the ones you (or the writer you’re typing for) tend to mix up so you can learn the di#erences.

I. ApostrophesA. Use the apostrophe to

1. Indicate contractions or omitted lettersa) I’veb) it’s (it is)c) TV’ers

2. Indicate the plurals of uppercase letters-as-letters only if omitting it may confuse.a) Italicize all A’s. (not As)b) !ere are two U’s in the word usurp. (not two Us)c) Non-examples (clear meanings)

(1) Study the three Rs.(2) His report card shows three Cs.

3. Indicate the plurals of lowercase letters referred to as letters and abbreviations.a) dotting the i’sb) p’s and q’sc) four c.o.d.’sd) wearing pj’s

4. Show possessiona) Add apostrophe+s when singular noun is " two syllables long or is one syllable long and does not end with an s.

(1) one o#cer’s badge(2) Mr. Ruiz’s car(3) one glass’s lip.

b) Add only the apostrophe to a noun that ends with an s and is either plural or only one syllable long.(1) Mars’ orbit(2) Mr. Jones’ o#ce(3) two o#cers’ cars(4) the Joneses’ house(5) two glasses’ lips

c) In compound nouns, add an apostrophe or ’s to the $nal word.(1) one brother-in-law’s boat(2) six wheeler-dealers’ deals

d) Show joint possession in nouns in series by adding apostrophe or ’s to the last noun.soldiers and sailors’ home

e) Show separate possession in nouns in series by adding apostrophe or ’s to each noun.John’s, !omas’s, and Henry’s ratings were each good.

f) Show possession in inde$nite pronouns by adding ‘s to the last part. (1) someone’s desk(2) somebody else’s books

B. Do not use the apostrophe to1. Form the possessive of personal pronouns.

my, mine, your, yours, his, her, hers, its, our, ours, their, theirs


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2. Form the plural of spelled-out numbers, words referred to as words, and words already containing an apostrophe—un-less adding as apostrophe makes the word easier to read.a) twos and threesb) ifs, ands, and butsc) yeses and noesd) which’s and that’se) dos and don’tsf) pros and consg) yeas and naysh) or’s or nor’s

3. Follow names of countries and other organized bodies ending in s or a%er words more descriptive than possessive, ex-cept when the plural does not end in s.a) United States controlb) United Nations meetingc) merchants exchanged) children’s hospital

II. BracketsA. Use brackets in pairs to

1. Enclose a correctionHe arrived at "# ["$] o’clock.

2. Supply something omitted.Mr. Adams arrived [to the meeting] late.

3. Explain or identify.!e president pro tem [Joe Arnold] spoke brie%y.

4. Instruct or add comment.!e report is as follows. [Read &rst paragraph.]

5. Enclose sic to show that you have recognized but not changed an error in a quotation.“It’s [sic] identi&cation number is missing.”

B. Use a single bracket:1. At the beginning of each paragraph when brackets enclose extensive material running to more than one paragraph.2. At the end of the last paragraph of such a sequence.

III. Colons—Used toA. Separate an introductory statement from following explanatory or summarizing material.

1. !e board consists of three o#cials: chairman, vice-chairman, and secretary.2. !ese measures are necessary while the country is at war: give up conveniences, demand no special privileges, do not

stop work.B. Introduce formal statements, questions, or quotations.

1. !e committee stated the principal thus: In foreign relations, people, not governments, are our $rst concern.2. !ese questions about the project arose for discussion: How much? When? Where?3. He said: [If the quotation is only one sentence, use a comma instead of a colon here.]

C. Follow a formal salutation in a business letter.1. Dear Mayor Smith:2. Ladies and Gentlemen:

D. Separate the hour and the minutes in clock time.1. &:'( a.m.2. '':() p.m.

E. Separate citation parts.1. Luke *:+2. Education Journal +:(-,.


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IV. CommasA. Use the comma to

1. Separate words or $gures that might be otherwise misunderstood or misread.a) Instead of hundreds, thousands came.b) To John, Smith was very helpful.

2. Set o- explanations or introductions that precede, break, or follow a short quotation.a) I said, “Don’t you understand the question?”b) “I understand it,” she replied, “but I disagree with the answer.”c) “Why?” I asked.d) “Because it’s so unreasonable!” she exclaimed.

3. Show the omission of an understood word or words.!en he was enthusiastic; now, indi'erent.

4. Separate a series of separate modi$ers of equal rank.a) It is a young, eager group. b) He is a clever young man. (!e phrase “young man” works as one concept.)

5. Follow each member in a series of three or more.a) Red, white, and blueb) him, her, or me

6. Separate an introductory phrase from the word it modi$es.Beset by mosquitos, he ran to the tent.

7. Mark names.a) To set o- abbreviations like Esq., academic degrees, and religious orders.

(1) Joe Smith, Ph.D., wrote a book.(2) !e Reverend Tom Doe, S.J., will lead the prayer.

b) To set o- su#xes like Jr, Sr., II, or III.(1) Joe Smith, Jr. (Use one comma when name is on a line by itself.)(2) Joe Smith, Jr., director of… (Use two commas when other copy follows.)(3) Joe Smith, Jr’s. promotion (Drop second commas a(er a possessive ending.)

c) To show inverted order.Smith, Joe, Jr.

d) Inc., Ltd., Co.: Generally used without commas for modern companies; check press releases or websites to verify preferred corporate branding.

e) City, state, country.I lived in Pro)o, Utah, before mo)ing to Bangor, Maine; Washington, D.C.; Atlanta, Georgia, and London, England, where I &nally retired.

8. Set o- parenthetical (unnecessary to the sense of the sentence) words, phrases, or clauses. a) !e atom bomb, which was developed by the Manhattan Project, helped end ..//. b) !e Middle East situation, according to the Secretary of State, is volatile. c) !e person who started that $re is undoubtedly an arsonist. (all phrases are necessary)d) He wants action, not words, from the court.e) Mr. Jay, the plainti-’s attorney, asked for a delay.

9. Connect sentences joined by a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet).Sue is unfailingly polite, and she welcomes visitors with a a big smile.

10. Set o- a noun of direct address.a) Sue, please type the memo.b) Please, Sue, type the memo.

11. Separate thousands, millions, etc., in numbers of four or more digits. a) *.0&1b) 0,111,111


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12. Set o- the year in a three-item date within a sentence.a) We met on May +, 011+, in Reno.b) We met in May 011+ in Reno. (No commas in a two-item date.)

B. Do not use the comma to1. Precede an ampersand unless name order is reversed.

a) A.H. Jones & Sons. (normal name order)b) Jones, A.H., & Sons. (reversed name order where the comma indicates the reversal)

2. Precede a dash.Of the factors-time, cost, and quality-quality is paramount.

3. Separate two nouns, one of which identi$es the other. a) !e booklet Safety is available.b) My son Ben lives in Paris.

V. HyphensA. Connect the parts of certain compound nouns.

a) self-controlb) walkie-talkiec) ex-governord) H-bombe) quasi-accident

1. Note: Some compound words are written as solid words; some are written as separate words, and some are hyphenated. !e correct style for many words is constantly changing. For best advice, check an up-to-date (online) dictionary or the “Compound Words” Chapter of !e Gregg Reference Manual.

2. Note: Make compound nouns plural by adding s to the main word (sisters-n-law) but possessive by adding s at the end (my sisters-in-law’s house).

B. Indicate the continuation of a word divided at the end of a line by placing a hyphen on $rst line. !is is almost always han-dled automatically by word-processing so%ware and typically should not be done manually.

C. To combine adjectives that work together to create a single description.1. A yellow taxi driver is someone cowardly who drives a taxi (of any color).

A yellow-taxi driver is someone (brave or not) who drives a taxi painted yellow.2. Ordering 2ash-fried chicken gives poultry cooked quickly at high temperature.

If a 2ash fried chicken, a bright light (or comic-book hero) prepared the food.3. A comic book hero is a funny protagonist.

A comic-book hero is an animated person with superpowers.D. Separate the letters of a word spelled out for emphasis.

d-o-l-l-a-r-s

VI. DashesA. Not to be confused with a hyphen (-); see above.B. !e en-dash (–)

1. Used to connect numbers.a) See pages +–(.b) Call us at *1,–&&0–+)31.

2. To type:a) Mac: option + hyphenb) PC: alt + 1'(1 (or control + number-pad minus in MS Word)

C. !e em-dash (—)1. Should be used sparingly and deliberately.2. Marks a sudden break or abrupt change in thought.

a) He said—and no one contradicted him—“!e battle is lost.”b) If the bill should pass—and Heaven forbid!—the service will be wrecked.

3. Indicates an interruption or un$nished word or sentence.


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a) He said, “Give me lib—.”b) Did you see—?

4. Separates an a%erthought from the main part of the sentence.We o'er the best service in town—and the fastest!

5. Shows hesitation.I will—or, maybe I can’t—I don’t know—go with you.

6. Sets o- repetition.Don’t miss this chance—the chance of a lifetime.

7. Emphasizes single words.a) Jogging—that’s what he lives for.b) Don’t believe him—ever!

8. Attributes quotes.“Never put o' until tomorrow that which you can do today.”—Benjamin Franklin

9. To type:a) Mac: shi% + option + hyphenb) PC: alt + 1'(' (or in MS Word, control + shi% + number-pad minus, or by typing two hyphens between two

words)

VII. Exclamation PointsA. Note surprise, disbelief, admiration, or other strong emotion.B. Can terminate a sentence.

1. Oh, that’s beautiful!2. He absolutely adores her!

C. Can emphasize an interjection.1. Wow!2. Bam!3. Ouch!

D. Should be used with restraint. Exclamation points are rare in most writing, extremely rare in business writing, and almost never appropriate in multiples.

VIII. ParenthesesA. Set o- material not grammatically part of the sentence.

!e results (see &gure $) are surprising.B. Set o- parenthetic (extra) material for a stronger interruption than commas.

You can’t &nd good wine here (at least, I can’t) at any price.C. Enclose an explanatory word not part of the statement.

His fa)orite newspaper is the Erie (PA) Ledger, not !e Ledger of Erie, PA. D. Enclose letters or numbers designating items in a series. !is construction is rarely needed in a single sentence and could be

more clear as a list.She has (1) a horrid haircut, (2) an unbecoming style, and (3) a poor dye job.

IX. PeriodsA. End declarative or imperative sentences.

1. He works for Orange County.2. Complete the application and return it to our o#ce.3. Tell me how you $led the form.4. We wish to hear from you soon.

B. Indicate omission within a sentence (a three-dot ellipsis) or at the end of one (four dots: three for the omission and one for the period). Do not add space between periods; most word processors will convert three consecutive periods to an ellipsis.He called…and le(….

C. End most lowercase abbreviations made of single initials.1. a.m.


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2. i.e.3. PBS (Capitalized abbreviations are called acronyms and do not need punctuation.)4. UCF5. PIN

D. End capitalized geographic names (U.S.A.), academic degrees (B.A.), and B.C. and A.D. (!is “rule” is fading; many institu-tions are not using periods in these cases.)

X. 4uestion MarksA. Indicate a direct query.

1. Did he do it?2. He did what?

B. Express more than one question as a continuation of the same sentence. !is construction is rarely appropriate for business writing.Can he do it? or you? or you?

C. Express doubt about a speci$c element inside a sentence.He said the boy was eight (?) feet tall.

XI. 4uotation MarksA. Enclose a direct quotation. Use single quotation marks to enclose a quotation within a quotation.

1. She said, “I love learning about punctuation marks.”2. !e answer is “No.” Bob said, “John said ‘No.’” Bob said he heard John say he can’t go.

B. Identify the title of portions of published works,—such as poems, essays, articles, songs, etc. !e titles of complete published works—books, magazines, music albums, etc.—are italicized.He read the poem “Trees” *om !e Complete Poems of Joyce Kilmer.

C. To punctuate:1. Periods and commas always go inside end quotation marks.

a) He read the poem “Trees.”b) He read the poem “Trees,” and then he memorized it.c) Colons and semicolons always go outside end quotation marks.d) Mark shipments of these goods “fragile”: china, glass, and ceramics.e) He read the poem “Trees”; he then memorized it.

2. 4uestion marks, exclamation points, dashes, and parenthesis go either place, depending on the meaning.a) Sue asked, “Have you read your mail?”b) Bob cried, “How I love Fridays!”c) Why did Joe say, “I am not happy here”?d) Bob absolutely detests the poem “Trees”!e) He said, “If only I had listened—.”f) If I hear one more word about “political correctness”—g) He agreed to pay “by Friday (May ().”h) Joe (known as “the boss’s gofer”) will get the job.

XII. SemicolonsA. Separate connected sentence with no coordinating conjunction between them.

Sue is unfailingly polite; she welcomes all visitors with a warm smile. B. Separate items in a series if any of the items already contain commas.

He has lived in Miami, Florida; Richmond, Virginia; and Chicago, Illinois.


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Proofreading With a Partner!is variation of the solo technique of proofreading takes two people. One reads aloud from the dead (original) copy while the other checks the live (new, retyped) version. When they have "nished the "rst proofreading, they exchange papers and assignments: the original reader now rechecks the origi-nal checker’s corrections on the live copy while the original checker now reads the dead copy aloud for the second time. !is way, two pairs of eyes check the new copy.

!e objective is to make the live copy a perfect copy of the dead, just as if you ran it through a copy machine.

First reading: A reads dead copy aloud while B checks live (new) copy.

Proofreaders exchange papers and switch roles.

Second reading: B reads dead copy aloud while A checks live (new) copy.

!e reader must read aloud in a way that makes it easy for the checker to "nd the errors. For instance:Read slowly. (!e checker must tell the reader to slow down if he or she reads too fast.)Read capitalization and punctuation. (Say, “Director, underlined, starting with capital ‘D.’”)Mention anything out of the ordinary, like spacing between lines and lengths of blanks.

Read every digit of every number.Spell proper names.

Spell technical terms.Indicate paragraph breaks.Check to be sure lines start and end with the same words on both copies.

!e dead copy on the next page is the original. While A reads the dead copy aloud, B corrects the live copy (the new, retyped material on the page a%er). When you have "nished the "rst reading, ex-change booklets. A now corrects the live copy that B has just marked while B reads the dead copy out loud again. !is way, two pairs of eyes correct the same material.

See whether you "nd any more errors on the second reading!


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Dead Copy.

NOTICE OF LI&UIDATION

Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to the provisions of Title II, section 207(a) (2) of the

Federal Credit Union Act, the __________________ Federal Credit Union, Charter Number

________________, has been placed into involuntary liquidation by order of the Administrator,

National Credit Union Administration, Washington, D.C. All creditors having any claim or demand

against said credit union are required to present their claims and make legal proof thereof to the Na-

tional Credit Union Administration, ____________________________. Under the provisions of

said Act, all claims not "led within four months from the date this advertisement "rst appeared shall

be barred, and claims rejected or disallowed by the Liquidating Agent shall be likewise barred. All

claims of creditors of said credit union should be submitted under oath or a)rmation dully adminis-

tered by a notary public or other person legally empowered to administer the same.

_____________________________________

Agent for the Liquidating Agent


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Live Copy

Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to the provisions of Title II, Section 207(a2) of the Federal

Credit Union Act, the __________________ Federal Credit Union, Chapter Number

________________, had been placed into voountary liquidation by order of the Administrater, Na-

tional Credit Union Administration, Washington, D.C. All having any claim or demand against said

credit union are required to present there claims and make legal prof thereof of the National Credit

Union Administrator, ____________________________. Under the provisions of said Act, all

claims not "lled within 4 months from the date this advertisement "rst appeared shall be barred, and

claims rejected or disalloud by the Liquidating Agent shall be likewise barred. All claims of creditors

of said said credit union should be submitted under oath or a)rmation duty administered by a notary

public or other perlegally empowered to administer the same.

______________________________________

Agent for the Liquidating Agent


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Tongue-Tied ProofreadingProofread and make corrections to the live copy below. Have fun with it—the text is more di)cult than it looks!

Dead Copy

TONGUE-TRIPPER TEST USED FOR APPLICANTS FOR TV/RADIO JOBS

I bought a batch of baking powder and baked a batch of biscuits. I brought a big basket of biscuits

back to the bakery and baked a basket of big biscuits. !en I took a big basket of biscuits and the bas-

ket of big biscuits and mixed the big biscuits with the basket of biscuits that was next to the big basket

and put a bunch of biscuits from the basket into a box. !en, I took the box of mixed biscuits and a

biscuit basket and brought the basket of biscuits and the box of mixed biscuits and the biscuit mixer

to the bakery and opened a can of sardines.

Live Copy

TONGUE TRIPPER TEST USED FOR APPLICANTS FOR TV-RADIO JOBS

I bought a batch of baking powder an baked a batch of biscuits. I bought a big basket of biscuit back

to teh bakery and baked baket of big biscuits then I took a big basket of biscuits and the basket of big

biscuits and mix the big biscuits with the basket of biscuit that was next to the big basket and put

bunch of biscuit for the basket into a box. !en, I took the box of mix biscuits and a biscuit basket

and bought the basket fo biscuits an the box of mixed biscuit and the bisciut mixer to the bakery and

opened a can of sardine.


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The Readability of Writing (The Gunning-Fog Index)!e Gunning-Fog Index is a test designed to measure the readability of a sample of writing. !e re-sulting number is an indication of the number of years of formal education that a person requires in order to easily understand the text on the "rst reading. !at is, if a passage has a fog index of (*, it has the reading level of a U.S. high school senior. !e test was developed by Robert Gunning, an Ameri-can business man, in (+,*.

A piece of writing with a Fog Index of more than twelve runs a serious risk of not being understood or even read. !e index is not a measure of the intelligence level of the reader, or of the intensity of the subject matter, but only of reading ease.

Gear your writing to the reading level of your audience. Aim for the “lowest common denominator” so that everyone in your intended audience can read your writing. !e average American reads on the sixth grade level. !e lower the reading level of the writing, the easier it is for your reader to under-stand what you write. Only if you are positive that your entire audience can easily understand techni-cal terms and di)cult vocabulary should you choose a higher Fog Index.

Two versions of a memo appear below. !e "rst version has a Fog Index of between (- and (., which suggests that it’s designed for an audience of college graduates. !e second version has a Fog Index of between . and /. What if the audience of the memo consists of high-school graduates? Is there any reason for the higher level of complexity?

Index of 16/17

Since general safety conditions are one of the responsibilities you have within your department, we would appreciate your disseminating the following information.

In a recent inspection of all areas the most obvious hazard detected was the manner in which o)ce equipment is placed or used in relation to personal movement or tra)c.

All personnel in your area should be made aware of possible Safety Hazards and take precautionary measures at all times so that a high “Safety Level” may be maintained.

Electrical cords on equipment such as typewriters, adding machines, etc., should not be per-mitted to lie loose on the $oor where the possibility of someone tripping over them exists.

When not in immediate use, desk and "les drawers should be kept closed at all times.

Index of 7/8

Safety in your department is your responsibility. Please see that your people are made aware of haz-ards and that they take measures to prevent them.

A recent inspection revealed a chief hazard to be o)ce equipment placed in the way of people moving about.

Electrical cords of typewriters, adding machines, etc., should not lie loose on the $oor. Some-one may trip over them.

Keep desk and "les drawers closed when not in use.


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Finding the Reading LevelWhen editing writing, the reading level of the words should be kept to a level appropriate for the audience. We’ve talked about simplifying our writing, and this is a good way to put a number on an idea. If your writing is intended for the public, this is especially important, as the average reading level is o%en far lower than we normally expect. Here’s how to "nd the reading level of something you’re writing:

In MS Word:

First, look in preferences for “Show readability statistics” and be sure it’s checked. Also check “Check grammar with spelling.” Determining readability is part of Word’s grammar check.Run a full grammar check of your document.

When "nished, you’ll see this sort of report:

Manually:

!e Gunning-Fog IndexChoose a sample of (00 words or more.Count the number of words in the sample.

!en, count the number of independent clauses. Divide the number of words by the number of clauses. !is determines the number of words per sentence.Count the number of words of three or more syllables. Don’t count capitalized words, easy combination words like bookkeeper or manpower, or verbs made into three syl-lables by adding -es, -ed, or -ing. Divide the number of these big words by the total number of words. !is determines the percentage of big words.

Add the number of words per sentence and the percentage of big words.Multiply that total by 0.1 to "nd the Gunning-Fog Index.

!e Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (what MS Word uses)

Count the number of words in the sample, then count the number of sentences. Di-vide the number of words by the number of sentences. !is determines the average sentence length (ASL).Count the number of syllables in the sample. Divide the number of syllables by the number of words. !is determines the average syllables per word (ASW).

Grab a calculator. (.39 2 ASL) + (11.8 2 ASW) - 15.59 = Grade Level.


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